


Arrows, Storms and Torchwood

by Kelkat9



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Arrow Spoilers, Crossover, F/M, Jealousy, Nudity, Pete's World Torchwood, Romance, Team Arrow, naked and afraid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-24
Updated: 2014-08-15
Packaged: 2018-02-10 04:53:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2011611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kelkat9/pseuds/Kelkat9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Doctor arrived back in Pete's World with Rose, he knew it was the start of a new adventure.  He just wasn't expecting things to be quite so complicated.  Nor, was he expecting a world where Unit was replaced by a super secret American organization known as Shield and that Torchwood was working with its own notorious super hero known as the Hood or Green Arrow.  When he meets the muscled, brooding hero and sees how Rose looks at him, emotions bubble up that may finally force him to confront his own fears, finally taking that next step with Rose and give her the forever they both deserve. And, maybe even help push a certain green hooded hero toward his own forever with a certain blonde companion of his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is sort of a crossover or fusion of a couple of fandoms. It's a crazy idea and I'm not sure if it works but it's what I wrote. The setting is Pete's World but it's a verse where there is no Unit but there is Shield. There are mentions of Shield (post Season 1) throughout chapt 1. This also includes Team Arrow (set post Season 2). My main goal was interactions of Rose and TenII with Oliver and Felicity as I see parallels between the two couples. I really have no set Title. I'm kind of stuck. If you have any ideas, feel free to pitch them at me and maybe something will stick. Also, I was unsure about how to treat the acronyms. All caps on each one looked like too much from an ease of reading standpoint. Thus, UNIT is Unit and SHIELD is Shield. Thank you to Callistawolf for helping me Arrow verse questions. I've never written any Arrow characters before so apologies in advance if you don't feel like it meets your expectations.

It had been four weeks since the beach, since snogging, since losing her Doctor and gaining her new Doctor and Rose was still figuring things out. At first, she'd needed time to process all that had happened. It wasn't every day the man she loved split in two with one abandoning her and one offering to spend the reminder of his life with her.

Their first night together in Pete's World was spent at an Inn a few miles down the coast from Bad Wolf Bay. Her feelings had been a tangled knot of happy, sad, angry and hopeful. Her new Doctor seemed happy to be with her, eager to embrace this new life and adventure as they'd made their way to the Inn.

During the windy, cool trip, he had chatted with Jackie about everything from the weather, her brother Tony and the differences in this Earth. While Rose trudged beside them quietly her mother and the Doctor bantered on about the differences: A President instead of a Prime Minister; how the monarchy disappeared under scandalous circumstances; or even the surreal revelation that humans with special abilities, super hero like talents were living amongst them. The Doctor had embraced that concept with zeal mentioning how he'd met and inspired Stan Lee; and how he'd taken him on a few quick trips that influenced a few graphic novels and inspired generations of humans.

Eventually, his enthusiasm for this new adventure quieted and his mood seemed to plummet. That night Rose did most of the talking. As they lay in bed next to each other trying not to be overwhelmed by all that had happened, she spoke about her life in Pete's World and her dimension jumps. Although, she omitted the more frightening or sad parts of her adventures. He seemed to recognize this.

When he probed her about some of her dimension jumps, she pushed back asking him about his life with Martha and Donna. It was almost amusing how he also filtered his own stories. Rose mused they were quite the pair and maybe that was the point. They needed each other. The Doctor, the Time Lord Doctor, had said this Doctor needed her. But, she needed him too.

On the zeppelin ride home, they continued their dance of recounting bits and pieces of their lives and leaving out anything too painful. It wasn't until the second night that Rose broke. He had been babbling on about rubbish propulsion systems, human inefficiency and generally being a misery. Rose couldn't take it. It was all a sign to her of how wrong things were and how he'd never be happy living life day after day in one place

An itch to run prickled her skin and she shifted in her seat gripping the arm rests as if ready to bolt. When he made one final comment about being stuck on an airship that was smaller on the inside, she shot up from her seat, her face downcast and pained.

"I'm…I'm sorry," she said in a broken voice, unable to look at him as she ran out of their compartment.

Jackie watched with a frown before directing a pointed look at the Doctor who sat silently and focused on the night sky outside the window, saying nothing.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked, her blue eyes reflecting annoyance. She was not in the best of moods, especially after wearing the same clothing for over two days and with little sleep.

He remained silent, staring out the window, shifting in his seat, crossing one leg over the other and tapping his trainer clad foot against the arm rest.

Jackie sighed and shook her head. "For a brilliant alien you can be so stupid!"

He looked over at her, brown eyes flashing with annoyance and a touch of pain.

"She needs you," Jackie said, enunciating her words as if he couldn't understand English. "You just left her on a flipping beach, the same one you left her on before."

"I'm right here, Jackie and besides," he said, looking away and mumbling slightly. "I don't think she wants to see this me right now."

Jackie stood up and walked over to him with a rolled up magazine and bopped him on the shoulder. He scrambled back in his seat as if a horde of Daleks was attacking him.

"She bloody well does need you! Now stop being a daft alien git and go find her; and this time, talk to her. And I don't mean that god awful babbling you do. I mean really talk to her. Tell her you want to be here, that you want a life with her and bloody well apologise. Then make her do the same and be happy. Life doesn't give you many second chances and I know that more than most. Don't waste any more time."

The Doctor looked at her and swallowed hard. He nodded his head, stood up and straightened his bright blue jacket. He turned toward where she was standing amidst the seats, hands on hips, glaring at him with a ferocity that would make many alien species turn tale and run.

A slight smile lit his face. "Thank you, Jackie."

Her fierce expression softened and she turned to sit down, picking up another magazine. "Any time. Just don't bollux it up. And don't think I won't come and kick your arse if you hurt her."

He nodded and slipped out of the cabin leaving Jackie watching him and shaking her head.

He found Rose leaning against a wall near a window gazing out at the dark landscape beneath them, her face red and streaked with dried tears. He paused in the corridor. This was it. No more second chances or do overs. His single heart beat in his chest. Talking about important emotional things had never been his strong suit and now he needed to do that. He cleared his throat.

Rose wiped at her face, her hair falling over her cheek and she turned her head away.

"Rose," he said as he stepped toward her.

"I know this is hard for you," she said, her voice strained.

"Yes," he acknowledged, nodding his head. "It is. It's not something I ever anticipated." He sighed, shaking his head in wonder. "But then I never thought the universe would be so kind as to give you back to me."

Rose looked up at him, her own heart beating a little faster. "But it didn't, not really. It took something from you."

He stepped closer to her. "Oh Rose, you've got that so wrong. It gave me you, a chance at a real life with you and a brand new fresh life at that. Everything here is new and unexplored and the best part is we can do it together," he reached for her hand and laced his fingers with hers as he gazed at her intently. "If you want."

She looked up into his eyes, those fathomless brown pools that she had dreamed of on so many occasions whilst wishing and wanting to find him. "But do you really? Want to be here with me? You got dumped off just like me."

"No," he responded with vehemence. "Not dumped, never dumped. Other me, gave us this gift no matter how much it hurt him and it did hurt him, Rose. I wanted this with you. I wanted a life with you and now we have it."

"And him?" Rose asked in a tearful voice. "What about him?"

He let out a heavy breath. "He goes on like always. It's always been my way except for this me. I have you…as long as you want that is and I hope you do because Rose Tyler, I do want forever with you."

Rose smiled up at him, a few tears slipping down her face. "Yeah?"

"Yes and I'm sorry it's taken me this long to tell you. I'm a bit rubbish at this meta crisis thing. Wellll, when I say a bit, I mean it's an adjustment. It may take time for me to figure everything out like sleep and food and…" He sniffed. "Is that you or me because I don't ever recall producing any sort of disgusting odour like that. And speaking of odours, the grooming products on this zeppelin are completely inadequate. I don't know how you've managed. If that is any example of what's available in this world, I'll have to cobble some things together until we get our TARDIS grown."

Rose shook her head and hugged him, his arms wrapping around her in a tight embrace she'd missed so much. "Doctor?"

He hummed. "Yes, Rose."

"I think it's you," she said, wrinkling her nose as she rested her head in the crook of his neck.

He cursed and muttered a few things in languages she didn't understand. They hadn't solved everything and had barely scratched the surface of the many issues they still had to resolve but it was a start and Rose had hope. It would take time. As Rose listened to him babble, she thought of all she'd fought through to find him and smiled. It was definitely worth it even if she had to continue fighting to hold on. She was Rose Tyler, dimension traveller, time traveller and she would continue to fight for what she believed in. Even if, he was rubbish at human things, babbled and was not the nicest smelling bloke at the moment.

dwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwdw

Four weeks went by quickly. They'd settled into Rose's small flat with a few grumbles and spats. There had been, of course, the necessary shopping trips, a few uncomfortable meetings at Torchwood to procure the necessary paperwork, the Doctor learning about this Earth's customs, domestics, carpets, windows and doors. There were nights spent in front of the telly, talking about differences in movies, reminiscing about adventures and talking about the adventures they would have.

They did not sleep together. The Doctor slept in a pull out in her office. Rose wasn't sure how she felt about this. She'd hoped things would change yet, she still felt they had so far to go, so much still to talk about. Then, there was that tiny evil niggling voice of doubt in the back of her mind whispering that he would leave her. She hated that voice but still couldn't ignore it. There was no doubt that he loved her and she loved him but he was the Doctor and that made things complicated.

As time went by, they did talk and…argue. It was always the little things that spurred on the disagreements. His rage at how this London was just a step away from a police state with its armed guards and occasional curfews when there was trouble. Rose understood this. The truth was that he was right. This world may be more advanced than her Earth but with that came new troubles and dangers.

The people here had lived through and lost so much to the Cybermen and everyone feared there would be another John Lumic or corrupt Torchwood. Zeppelins in the sky and dark glassed sky scrapers weren't the only differences between their two worlds. There had been alien invasions, some small but some almost cataclysmic on a planetary scale. Things had settled down across the globe eventually. In London, Pete had taken over Torchwood and made progress cleaning up the corruption and making it what it should be, a place for diplomacy as well as Earth defence. SHIELD, Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division based in America, had pulled itself back from the brink of its own destruction and was doing likewise to Torchwood. But, this was still a world ripe with paranoia, fear of the next alien invasion or sadistic criminal mastermind.

It wasn't just the environment that annoyed him. There was his dislike for sleep. Nothing made Rose angrier than his penchant for trying to stay up for forty eight hours straight and then suddenly collapsing during a dinner at the Tyler mansion. After two such incidences, they rowed.

The Doctor insisted he still had superior Time Lord Biology and he knew himself better than any humans. Rose disagreed, snidely commenting that falling face first into the mushy peas was an example of how much he didn't know. He tried to storm out of the flat but she'd slammed the door shut before he could walk out. The argument devolved into accusations about him being suicidal and selfish. He unleashed the Oncoming Storm and accused her of being over controlling and typical Torchwood.

Silence followed. Rose walked calmly back to her room and shut the door. Late that night, he tapped on her door and they talked. She told him about Donna's universe and him dying. He told her about the Planet Midnight and his never ending nightmares. It was another step forward.

He still had issues with Torchwood and had a tendency to go off on arrogant rants. She defended her job and the people at this Torchwood. She, Pete, Jake and many others had worked too hard to make it a place that at least tried to make a difference, not allow politicians to control them or be manipulated by military organizations. They'd forged alliances with a few aliens like the Vinvocci and the Asgardians. Torchwood wasn't perfect but it was a far cry from the organization in her home world that had caused them so much heartbreak.

Eventually, he listened. Curiosity drove him to go with her into Torchwood and look around to judge for himself whether or not it was the evil place he accused it of being. One day of snooping turned into them stopping by every day until eventually Pete had him issued an ID badge with access to every level - after all, if he didn't give him access, he'd just break in and Pete didn't want to have to justify a budgetary item for Doctor damage.

He refused to call it a job or admit he was an employee. For the Doctor, it was research, a place to find out more about how this world evolved different from their home universe. As well as, giving him an opportunity to examine and knick a few pieces of alien tech that he didn't think Torchwood needed or should have. He spent time in Archives and Research and Development. Everyone knew him. He had friends, those that ran in terror at his approach and a few who just glared in indignation and resentment at his brilliant if not wildly spontaneous methods.

Rose spent most of her time at Torchwood fulfilling her duties as Chief of Investigations. Her job included: overseeing the field agents and teams; reviewing reports on investigations, alien tech they brought back in, any alien contacts, human interaction with alien visitors; and liaising with Shield and making sure the two agencies didn't step on each other's toes. That duty had been added when the stars were going out and there had been an unpleasant incident between some Torchwood Agents and certain overzealous Agents of Shield. Luckily, Rose and Shield's newest Director, Phil Coulson, seemed to get on and agreed it was better if they shared information and worked as allies.

There was no UNIT in this universe and next to Torchwood, Shield was this planet's only defence against extra-terrestrial hostiles. It only made sense for the two agencies to work together. After all, Shield had just been through a rather unpleasant hostile takeover from within their ranks by that infamous criminal organization known as Hydra. It did not escape either Pete Tyler's, or Rose's attention that something similar could happen at Torchwood. Better to have someone to call for back up and she liked Phil Coulson for that. He understood what was at stake, wasn't political and wasn't above doing the right thing no matter how many people it pissed off.

Of course, now she also had solving any Doctor related collateral damage added to her list of tasks. That duty was sort of the highlight of her day. It meant coming up from the underground field agent ready room and training area. She rather enjoyed slipping out away from annoying emails, endless reports and mediating field agent arguments about who caught the most cyber-toothed rats. Not, that she didn't enjoy some of her agents' company. Some, like Jake Simmonds, she loved like a brother and others she had bonded with over the Dimension Cannon project. Then, there were her special agents who required a different kind of supervision, a kind to encourage their more unusual …talents whilst keeping them from taking things too far.

She'd always jump at the chance to take the lift upstairs to find out what trouble her Doctor had found, smooth ruffled feathers and maybe get in a bit of mischief herself. Things may not be perfect between she and the Doctor at the moment, but they both loved a good dose of trouble and that was always available at Torchwood.

She was on one such chore in R&D where a certain Asgardian football had been somehow activated and was presently whizzing across the lab, bouncing off walls, tables, monitors and the occasional head, as workers hid under tables and dodged the silver alien ball. All except the Doctor, who just grinned and rocked back on his heels in delight, never looking worried as said alien ball shot past his face.

Rose walked in and the ball bounced off a framed alien periodic chart hurtling across the room toward her head. Luckily, she had been playing football with Tony lately and was quite adept at catching an errant football. She easily caught it as someone shouted _Thank God_ in the background.

"Brilliant catch, Rose!" the Doctor cheered enthusiastically, pumping his fist in the air.

Rose walked toward him rolling the ball between her hands noticing how it felt remarkably light and cool to the touch. She looked around at workers coming out of hiding, some scowling and others, wide eyed and in awe.

"Can you imagine they thought this was giant ball bearing! A ball bearing, Rose!" the Doctor enthused with a huge grin before taking it from her and tossing it in the air followed by many shouts of _Nooooo_!

He giggled, caught it and carried it over to Dr. Malcolm Taylor, head of R&D, who stood in his white lab coat, bow tie and glasses askew, brown and grey hair sticking up and looking nervously at the Doctor. Rose couldn't help the smile that lit her face. Dr. Taylor was brilliant and had a slight professional crush on the Doctor but that was tempered by a good dose of fear after exposure to one of the Doctor's more fiery experiments.

The Doctor stood before Malcolm brimming with enthusiasm and energy. "Here you go, Malcolm my dear friend! Next time you might want to try the molecular resonating scanner I cobbled together. Might give you a bit more of clue. Malcolm gently took the ball from the Doctor and carried it carefully over to a storage bin where he set it down and locked it up.

The Doctor bounded back over to Rose who smiled even brighter. "So, have you caused enough trouble in the R&D lab for a while?"

"Caused trouble? Me? Hardly. Now that shady looking American, Dr. Eliot Randolph..."

The Doctor tipped his head to the side, looking over at a middle aged man with slightly greying short cropped brown hair in a long white lab coat over a grey suit. He was standing at a table pouring something that looked like liquid silver into a container where it solidified into various shapes. He looked over at them as if sensing the Doctor's gaze. His light blue eyes revealed nothing until, that is, he winked at Rose, ignoring the Doctor. He turned back to his task with a slight smirk on his face.

"You see!" the Doctor accused. "There's something off with him. I don't trust him," he confided, his eyes narrowing at the other man's back.

Rose giggled and shook her head. "Dr. Randolph is on loan from Shield. He's brilliant and been real helpful to us."

The Doctor snorted. "Playing nice and bestowing a few favours doesn't mean he's not up to something." The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets and clicked his tongue. "No, he's hiding something. We need to find out what…" he said and his eyes seem to stare unfocused as if he was pondering a number of evil intentions this scientist may have.

Rose sighed, tipping her head back. She was going to have to tell him or he'd cause an incident not to mention annoy Dr. Randolph who had been through quite enough in her mind. She grabbed the Doctor by the hand and pulled him sputtering across the lab waving at the scientists she passed.

Once outside she continued dragging him down the hall as he complained, "But Rose, he could be an alien in disguise or have some nefarious plans to take over Torchwood or, you know, kidnap the Director's brilliant and universe saving daughter and…"

Rose halted abruptly, her jaw clenched as she shot him an annoyed look. She shoved him into a corner. He grinned.

"Well if you wanted a little alone time, all you had to do was say so," he flirted, and bumped his shoulder against hers.

Rose rolled her eyes and shot him a very familiar Tyler glare. "Leave Dr. Randolph alone. I know him. Pete and me had dinner with him and we talked through his situation which isn't simple."

The Doctor's grin faded. He leaned back against a wall and tensed up, his eyes dark and flashing with the anger and Time Lord arrogance.

"Don't," Rose cautioned him before he could say anything. "I'm not a damsel in distress that needs saving." She crossed her arms, her black leather jacket scrunching in emphasis of her annoyed state. She took a deep breath and prepared to give him an example of how different this Torchwood and this world really was.

"He's part of Shield not just because he's brilliant but because he's not human either. He's Asgardian. Been on Earth for centuries now. He was what was called a Berserker…"

"What?" the Doctor shouted and bounded away from the wall he was leaning against, looming over her, his nostrils flaring. "Rose, do you realize how dangerous a Berserker is?" he asked in a sharp accusatory tone.

"Yeah, I do. I know a lot about Asgardian mythology. They're one of our allies and no they don't know he's here and aren't going to. We and Shield are giving him sanctuary. He's been here since the twelfth century and just wants to live a peaceful life. He's lived a long time and doesn't want to fight. He wants to leave all those days of killing and war behind him."

The Doctor looked off to the side, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Sound familiar" Rose asked gently. "He broke the weapon that made him a mad warrior, that caused him so much pain and anger. Shield has it locked away in vault now. So leave him be or maybe try and be nice to him."

The Doctor scuffed his trainers on the floor muttering how the former warrior should have known the football wasn't a ball bearing. Then he looked at Rose. A soft smile emerged on his face and he shook his head. "Rose Tyler, saviour of lost and damaged aliens." He looked back at her, his body relaxing. "All right, I'll try not to…you know, irritate the Asgardian."

Rose shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as she worried about a Time Lord-Asgardian pissing contest. She could almost visualize the destruction. "Please don't call him that. Not many people know and we'd like to keep it that way. He wants privacy." She looked up at him with a touch of pleading and that look in her eyes that screamed, _please do this for me._

The Doctor nodded and reached over to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. "I can understand that," he admitted honestly. The irony of running into another war torn alien seeking a new start on Earth did not elude him and he knew that was why Rose had revealed the Asgardian's story.

He was all too aware Rose worried about him. Adjusting to this life wasn't easy. It wasn't just changes to his biology, or fitting into this universe and growing accustomed to how time flowed here. Living with Rose and learning all she had endured and done to find him was a little overwhelming.

Part of him felt guilty. He'd given up but she hadn't. She had a faith he could barely comprehend. Her love and belief in him made him feel things, - primal urges and emotions. He wanted to protect her and keep her safe even from himself. Yet, he couldn't deny she was capable, strong and had done a better job at taking care of herself then he had. Still, there was a dark, possessive and fierce part of him that declared she was his and he would protect her and especially from dashing Torchwood Agents and super intelligent aliens who might find her as brilliant as he did. So, he did what he always did when confronted with possible threats to his relationship with her, he oozed charm and reminded her of how clever he was.

He looped his arm through hers and turned her back around in the hallway, strolling back toward the lift. "You know, I had a few run ins with Asgardians. Odin had no sense of humour. Honestly, that hammer was a nuisance. Freezing it in time for a bit was like giving him and old Thor a holiday! Got them out of that warrior mentality and start to use those brilliant brains of theirs!" he recounted and tapped his fingers on his temple.

Rose bit her lip nervously not wanting to tell him that Thor was hiding out with his girlfriend here in London. Thankfully, they were interrupted when someone shouted "Rose!"

Rose looked up and grinned. "Felicity!"

Felicity Smoak was about Rose's age. She was blonde, wore glasses, had a tendency to babble and was known throughout Torchwood as an IT genius. Many an agent and archivist commented you didn't want Felicity on your bad side or forever would you dwell in the hell paved with malfunctioning logins, redirected websites and files that would never open unless you humbled yourself and admitted to whatever sin had been committed. It wasn't that Felicity sought to do harm to anyone. Quite the opposite, Felicity was kind, compassionate, fair, open minded but didn't like arrogant, self-serving, egotistical gits. Generally, Felicity got on with everyone. The few exceptions learned to avoid her and anyone she considered a friend or face the consequences of their negative attitude.

Rose was one of Felicity's best friends at Torchwood. They had bonded over many a girl's night out at the pub. As well as, a girl's night in watching movies, lamenting the unfairness of life, the universe and heroic, self-sacrificing blokes who were their own worst enemies and couldn't find their way out of the building or their TARDIS, as the case may be, without help from their brilliant and faithful companions. This was often followed by a shot of tequila and high fives.

Felicity and Rose had discussed Rose's dimension jump mission. In fact, Felicity was one of a handful of people Rose had confided in and not just about stars disappearing or dimension jumps but on a more personal level.

When Felicity had joined Torchwood with her fellow team mates from America, Rose saw a bit of herself reflected in the young intelligent blonde. It hadn't taken Rose long to see how Felicity looked a certain brooding, heroic team mate of hers. It was a natural thing for Rose to stop by Felicity's office and inform her they were going out. Two women from different universes, different countries and cultures and yet they had so much in common.

Felicity was not expecting to see Rose again. The two women had hugged before Rose's final jump, a huge particle gun slung over Rose's shoulder. Rose had made Felicity promise to not hold back, make her bloke see her, show him he was being an idiot. If Rose could cross dimensions for her mad impossible alien, then Felicity could snog the heroic Oliver Queen into submission and show him anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

Seeing Rose walk down the hall with the tall brown spiky haired man in the trim blue suit had been a shock, and a welcome one. Felicity had almost dropped her tablet and then rushed over to Rose, throwing her arms around her, pressing her tablet in to Rose's back as she embraced her. Rose wrapped herself around Felicity with the same joy, listening to Felicity babble into her neck.

Felicity pulled away and straightened her glasses. "You came back! I mean the universe is still here…in one piece. Why would you…" She frowned. "Wait!" Her eyes widened. "It's not! I mean we're not about to be unmade or disintegrated or ripped into pieces or become fish people!"

Rose wrinkled her nose. "Fish people?"

"What? You were the one who told me about the fish people universe!" She looked off to the side and felt her bare neck. "I don't think gills would agree with me…"

Rose laughed. "I think you're safe. Really, everything's fine."

Felicity quieted. She tapped her tablet against her hip and looked at Rose with a touch of worry. "Then why are you back? I mean I didn't see Mickey…" Then she remembered the man standing next to Rose and turned to look at him. He smiled broadly and waved at her.

"Oh my god you're him!" she exclaimed and turned back to Rose.

She took a few steps closer to Rose and leaned in. "You brought him back? But I thought…"

"It's complicated. We're back. Mickey stayed," Rose explained and looked over at the Doctor who was watching the two of them. She smiled warmly at him and turned to Felicity.

"Felicity, I'd like you to meet the Doctor."

Felicity looked him up and down from red converses, blue suit with red pinstripes to blue oxford with a maroon tie to big smile, brown eyes and impossible hair. Her eye brows shot up. Then she gasped. "You're the new guy, the obnoxious know it all genius who…. Wait, did I just say that out loud?" she asked Rose.

Her answer was Rose giggling and wrapping an arm around Felicity's shoulder and giving her a quick hug. "Pretty much, yeah."

Rose then walked over to the Doctor. "Doctor, I want you to meet my best mate Felicity Smoak. She's here from America with her team. They're sort of independent contractors, lending us a hand with a few special projects; sort of an exchange program, sharing information and knowledge. Felicity's brilliant! No one knows her way around a network like Felicity."

The Doctor had been observing the two women with amusement. Rose had many friends at Torchwood and he was slowly getting to know them. Rose would smile and introduce them but none received the hug and affectionate look in her eyes that she had for Felicity. That made Felicity intriguing to him and he looked at her the way he would a potential companion.

She had long blonde hair tied up away from her face and inquisitive blue eyes behind black framed brainy specs. He gave her points for that. She was petite, about the same height as Rose but that's where any physical similarities ended. Felicity wore most impractical high heeled shoes. Clearly, she was not one to run at a moment's notice. Whilst Rose preferred jeans, trainers, t-shirts and a leather coat, Felicity was short skirt, bare legs, frilly top and tight fitting suit coat. Yet, there was a connection between the two. His time sense had been dampened and lines were not always clear but he could see parallels between Felicity and Rose.

He held out his hand and smiled warmly at her. "Nice to meet you Felicity Smoak!" he said enunciating her name.

She grasped his hand firmly and shook and he felt a jolt. There it was, that instinctual feeling he would get when he met someone like Sarah Jane, Rose, Martha or Donna. He never knew when he would bump into someone who would travel with him. All he knew was when he encountered someone with potential, whose life and choices could impact the world around them either positively or negatively. It fascinated him. He would be spending more time with Felicity and not just because she was a friend of Rose but because she had potential and he wanted to see her realize it.

What followed was almost headache inducing to Rose as the Doctor and Felicity engaged in a battle of technobabble that would rival even the most advanced scientists in Torchwood or the world. The Doctor was waving his hands around and tossing out phrases like: atomic transistors, quadratic algorithm matrices and Quantum electrodynamics. Felicity's eyes were glazed in an IT euphoria and the Doctor was practically jumping around.

Rose felt a little left out but she knew that these two getting along was a good thing and important. Felicity could help keep the Doctor out of trouble or at least know when to call Rose before it all erupted in a fiery blaze or alien invasion. Her mobile buzzed and she pulled it out. She groaned. As much as Rose loved Felicity and was happy she had moved to London to work for Torchwood, some of her team mates or one of her team mates in particular, a green hooded one, could be a lot to handle and especially when something from his troubled past was involved.

She bit her lip and looked over at the two geeking out. The Doctor paused and looked at her with an arched brow. Felicity blushed.

'Uh sorry Rose…we didn't mean to….that is I know you and him must be…I'll just shut up now." She took a step back and gripped her tablet to her chest.

Rose smiled. "Naw, it's fine. You two go talk flux capacitors and dimensional transcendentalism. I got a thing down stairs I have to handle."

Felicity frowned and patted her hair nervously. "That thing wouldn't involve archery or arrows would it?"

Rose tried to hide her smile. "I promise I'll call you if we have any…archery issues."

"Archery? Has Torchwood finally realized guns are not the answer? Not that crossbows or skewering someone with an arrow is better but…" The Doctor responded tugging at his hair.

Felicity looked up at him, her mouth hanging open a bit before she shut it with a click of her teeth. She looked at Rose questions on the tip of her tongue.

"Oh, I'll let you explain. I've got to dash. Just don't hack Shield or text the President about bananas or anything," Rose said waving her hand in the air as she left them.

"Bananas?" Felicity asked and looked at the Doctor confused.

He grinned. "Felicity Smoak, allow me to introduce you to the dozens of culinary delights and practical uses for my favourite fruit on all of Earth and then you can enlighten me about this archery thing."

Felicity nodded, wondering what she had just agreed to and yet found herself following this strange Doctor. Where he was leading her, she didn't know but wherever they ended up, she was sure it would be interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler Alert!!! For Season 2 of Arrow - Major spoilers so if you have not seen Season 2 - you have been warned!
> 
> Again, I am not capping all the acronyms. It would be too distracting in the text since there are a more than one. Sorry if that bothers you. Also, time line wise. Avengers took place in summer 2012. The Undertaking in Spring 2013. I am fudging on Pete's World time line regarding stars going out etc. It's an alt verse so meh, this is the way it is in my verse. If you have a strict head cannon regarding timelines in Pete's World, this is probably not the fic for you.
> 
> This Chapter is mainly from Felicity's POV and is about how Team Arrow ended up at Torchwood. Thank you everyone who's been patiently waiting for this update :)

A blue light flashed across the Doctor's lab at Torchwood followed by several popping sounds. Felicity ducked beneath a table, her glasses sitting askew on her face. She protectively clutched her iPad to her chest. A few more explosions sounded and she swore she felt the ground vibrate. Then, there was silence.

She let out a breath, straightened her glasses and began tapping out a few warning messages. There was a distinctive scent of burnt wires and metal in the air. She was all too familiar with this scent after working with the Doctor for the past two weeks.

It had been a mad experience. It was also fun, frightening and wondrous. She decided early on he was crazy and also brilliant. Since she'd begun working with him, he'd taught her more about nanite technology and microscopic microprocessors than even the most highly accredited professors at MIT. Some days, she stood in awe of all he shared with her. It wasn't just that he taught her. He encouraged her to figure things out, prompted her to ask questions and suggest solutions.

He could be arrogant and annoying. She told him that once and he just grinned at her and reminded her he was rude and not ginger as well. Then he'd winked and they'd gone back to work on something he'd called a tribophysical waveformmacro kinetic extrapolator.

She had also never run so much in all her life, not even with Oliver and Digg back in Starling City during the vigilante days. She paused feeling nostalgic for those days, the days before Slade, his Mirakuru army; before Moira Queen was murdered; and Thea Queen disappeared without a word to Oliver. It hadn't been easy. They'd lost Oliver's company, Queen Consolidated, and their base of operations beneath the nightclub, Verdant.

People had died, good people. Others had been injured emotionally and physically. And yet, they had saved so many more; done good work. She herself had felt the heavy burden of all they did in the form of nightmares and an ever constant tension thrumming through her. Oliver, his body guard, Digg and Thea's ex boyfriend and trouble maker, Ray, may have been the ones in the field, but Felicity still felt it every time they came back injured; and every time she followed along via remote camera feed, seeing the damage and horror that evil people unleashed.

Some days it felt like a losing battle but Felicity couldn't ever accept that. She was a positive person and she believed they could help. Oliver's motivations may not have been the purist in the beginning and more based on vengeance, but he learned and changed. If he could be a better man then there was still hope for Starling City.

Thinking about Oliver always filled her with longing, warmth and that gooey feeling one associated with something more than friendship. Felicity didn't want to use the word that more appropriately defined what she felt even if it was accurate. She and Oliver weren't like that. He was the hero, the Starling City Vigilante, Green Arrow and defender of the innocent against those who would oppress and enforce their will on every day people. To Felicity, Oliver was a good man, not perfect, but good. In fact, he was far from perfect and had tendencies to make bad choices, especially regarding women, girlfriends or intimate acquaintances.

Her thoughts shifted away from that topic. She really should not go there or risk doing something stupid. Felicity was talented and brilliant in her own right but sometimes her mouth got the better of her. Not that she hesitated to tell Oliver when he was wrong, but she knew there some things that she needed to remain silent about. At least, she refused to say certain things until Oliver broached the subject first.

She tapped a few more things on her iPad including a message to Rose Tyler, Chief of Investigations and the person ultimately responsible for Doctor damage control. A smile lit her face despite the burning scent in the air and the scuff of trainers across the floor followed by a thud of a kicked piece of equipment and the babble of said Doctor in some foreign language.

Rose was a good friend and a respected leader at Torchwood. She wasn't like some military type nor did she allow ego to dictate her actions. She believed in the greater good, helping people, was compassionate but not afraid to make the hard decisions. Rose also was intuitive and seemed able to read people. Felicity wasn't sure if anyone else could work with her team like Rose had. Rose seemed to understand the complex emotions, need to make things right and desire to help people that drove her team, even when those things might be coated in darker and morally questionable actions.

There was something in Rose that Felicity felt a kinship with. Part of that was how Rose related to her Doctor. Their relationship was not typical. Felicity snorted as she thought about that. The whole conversation about dimensions and a time traveling aliens had been almost unbelievable. Of course, the events of the past few years had revealed that anything was possible. Yet, it was the longing in Rose's eyes and how she spoke about the good the Doctor did and her role in his life that reminded Felicity of herself.

Another flash lit up the lab and Felicity shifted off to the side furthest from where the profuse alien cursing was being shouted. She straightened her skirt and kicked off her pumps. Working with the Doctor, she'd learned sometimes it was better to lose the shoes so you could run faster. Again, this paralleled a few stories Rose had related about running from armed aliens or running toward saving someone.

"Rubbish Torchwood equipment." Thump! A large piece of nearby equipment made a metallic screeching noise and a few sparks danced across the polished white fire resistant floor.

Felicity thought about venturing out to see if she could help but then remembered an incident from the prior week. Her glasses had flown off her face in some weird energy fluctuation that the Doctor had declared brilliant in an awe filled voice. Felicity had not thought it brilliant at all. Especially, when said force began tugging at her iPad. She'd clung too her beloved tablet as she slid across the floor toward a warped looking wall where her glasses were half embedded before the Doctor raced over with his sonic shouting out _Ha!_ as everything flying toward said anomaly halted its journey toward oblivion.

No, she would stay under the table and await reinforcements. She shook her head at how her job at Torchwood had evolved. At first she thought it would be a boring IT job like she first had at Queen Consolidated. Rose had other plans. At Torchwood, she was given her own office outfitted with not jus the latest tech but some experimental items that had her cuddling some of her equipment. One day Digg had come up from Agent Operations and caught her. She thought she'd never hear the end of it.

Torchwood wasn't bad. It lacked the dark, industrial ambiance of their secret lair in Starling City. It also didn't have the saving the world by the seat of her your pants tension. It was more corporate. That wasn't a bad thing but it could be a bit routine. At least it was until the Doctor bounced into her life. Now she understood why Rose smiled and told her to have fun and call her when she'd had enough.

On days like she was having now, under a table in a lab that might be exploding, she understood what Rose meant. Although, she didn't feel like she'd reached the _had enough_ stage. The explosions she could do without but the animated discussions, field trips down to archives where he had a story for every piece of unidentifiable alien tech; and his stories about his adventures with Rose, she loved. Part of it was the science nerd in her but part of it was also the romantic. The look in his eyes as he spoke about Rose was something she envied and sometimes wondered if Oliver ever… She winced as the table shook above her and her coffee mug vibrated off and crashed down splashing her cappuccino across the white floor.

Her glasses slid down her nose as she wrapped her arms over her head in case the table crashed down over her. It didn't. There was silence. Then there was the sound of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver. Felicity adjusted her glassed and glared at her iPad. Where was her back up? Were they sitting around the coffee machine laughing at her huddled under a table? Or, more likely, it was fear. The Doctor's lab tended to be a do not enter zone for most Torchwood employees. She groaned in frustration as another flash lit the lab followed by a _ha!_

Times like these made her think about how she came to be at Torchwood - how she'd first met Rose and found herself hiding beneath tables whilst a crazy genius alien jumped around the lab like a hyped up puppy…

Nothing had been the same after the Cybers had attacked. That horrifying event changed everything. It was the start of a new era in the world when everyone's reality turned inside out. Humanity had to acknowledge that they were living in the future and it wasn't the bright, shiny utopia with advanced technology that they had read about and seen in the movies.

The world was dark, gritty, filled with technological and biologic wonders and terrors. It was filled with megalomaniacs intent on ruling the world, big corporations attempting to control lives, terrorists, secret government organizations with their own agendas, extraordinary humans and aliens from outer space. What it meant to be human took on a new meaning.

Paranoia and suspicion was running rampant. Groups such as The Preachers and The Rising Tide which had played an important role in defeating the Cybers soon turned their attention to digging into secrets kept by government agencies like Shield and Torchwood. Conspiracy theories and videos spread like wild fire across the internet covering topics such as humans with amazing talents well beyond the accepted norm and of aliens and their technology that had appeared on Earth.

Torchwood, led by Pete Tyler, was the first to go public and disclose the agency's purpose. Felicity now knew that Torchwood hadn't revealed all their secrets but enough to satisfy the public who were worried about the next Lumic. Then came the alien invasion in New York City and soon Shield's name was splashed across the internet.

Aliens existed. Super Humans, those with usual abilities beyond what was considered normal lived amongst the population. No one could deny it or hide it any longer. Even in Starling City, mired in its own dark roots and proliferation of criminal activity, they felt the reverberations of these revelations. Felicity had heard rumours that even Starling City had those with unusual abilities who hid themselves away, fearful of public scrutiny or conscription into service with Shield.

The events in the rest of the world became secondary to the serious issues Starling City faced. Felicity was working in IT at Queen Consolidated when the formerly deceased Oliver Queen returned to Starling City. Her life changed dramatically after that. It transformed from boring coding and system analyst to dodgy research, people disappearing and the mysterious Oliver Queen showing up in her cubicle asking her odd but intriguing questions.

She was sucked into a world she could barely comprehend - one of vigilantes, violence, arrows, guns, crime fighting and secret societies planning unthinkable horrific events that would murder hundreds of thousands of people. _Morally ambiguous_ became part of her vocabulary. And yet, despite her anger and resentment at how things were achieved, she found herself drawn further into this twilight world of blurred lines between good and evil.

In fact, she found herself drawn toward the heart of the whole thing, one Oliver Queen. It wasn't just that he brave and wanted to make the city a better, safer place. Nor was it his charm, lean physique or twinkling eyes although she'd be blind not to appreciate how handsome he was. What drew Felicity to him was what lay deeper in him. Oliver Queen was complicated. He had a strict moral code twisted up in the darkness of what he'd endured while he was lost. Oliver wore many masks – the hood, son, brother, playboy, friend and employer. Felicity could glimpse what lay beneath, Oliver the man, real, in pain, struggling to make better choices and be better for his family and the city.

Felicity watched him struggle and sometimes it hurt her too. After the death and loss resulting from The Undertaking, she watched her employer mourn the loss of his best friend and run far and fast away from Starling City, blaming himself. It was frustrating to watch him flee the city he swore to defend and yet part of her, could understand. She watched him go and she stayed behind to help fill in the gap and keep the legacy of what he started alive.

She and Oliver's body guard and confidant John Diggle didn't follow their employer's example. Digg was a tall, broad shouldered, well muscled man with a quiet manner. Digg could see the value in what Oliver had started with his vigilante persona.

John Diggle was ex-military and more than capable of being Oliver's partner or fill in during his absence from Starling City. He also had a background in dealing with the trauma one experienced from life on the fringes in a war zone. It gave him special insight into Oliver's dark past and an ability to persuade Oliver to see past vengeance and his own personal vendetta into the truth and see things more clearly.

Digg and Felicity bonded over their mutual concern for Oliver. Getting Oliver back to Starling City and focused on the good he could do was a goal they achieved. Then came Slade and the Mirakuru. Once again, Starling City fell. This time, it was more than just a friend Oliver lost. It was his family and his father's company. And with it, their means to continue the fight to save the city.

A soft smile lit Felicity's face. That's when Rose Tyler entered their lives. She and her boys, Digg, Oliver and their latest recruit, Roy, had been arguing about the future. Amanda Waller from Argus had already made them a shady _trade your soul_ type offer. Phil Coulson from Shield had also paid them a visit with his own suggestion that Shield could use people like them; and offering them abundant resources in exchange for certain oaths of loyalty and a stack of government contracts wherein their arses belonged to Shield on a permanent never ending basis.

Felicity was not happy with either of these options. Oliver was still stubbornly insistent he could buy back Queen Consolidated, fund their crime fighting endeavours and still serve the city under his green hooded alter ego. Felicity wasn't buying it.

Then Torchwood came calling. Neither Oliver nor Digg was enthusiastic. Felicity reminded them they still had to rebuild their base of operations not to mention eat. They were invited to meet Agent Rose Tyler at Starling City Plaza Hotel. Oliver winced at the name of the hotel he once owned. Felicity informed all three men they were going.

Rose was waiting on them in a private suite. Felicity was surprised when she met her as Rose wasn't anything like either Amanda Waller or Agent Coulson. Rose was a petite blonde about the same height as Felicity and dressed casually in jeans, a t-shirt and a startling blue leather coat. She had a friendly smile and greeted each of them on a first name basis.

After they were seated, she served tea and began generally telling them about Torchwood, its mission, what they could contribute and what Torchwood expected from them.

Oliver sat stiffly in the formal wingback chair, in his tailored and expensive charcoal grey suit looking unimpressed.

"Ms. Tyler," he began.

"Rose, please call me Rose. No one calls me Ms. Tyler except government types."

Oliver smiled but it didn't reach his light blue eyes which were zeroed in on Rose like a target.

"Rose, I find it difficult to believe that Torchwood is based in the Republic of Great Britain yet you insist it remains autonomous from the Republic."

"Well I don't blame you for being sceptical. I was too," she responded nervously, tucking a few lose strands of hair behind her ear.

"That doesn't sound very…reassuring or a way to convince us that our affiliating with you is a good idea," Oliver responded and set his tea cup down, still looking at her as if he was trying peel away the layers of her personality and find some evil persona lurking beneath.

Rose smiled at him but in a way that was all business and professional. She set her own cup down and stood up. "Well then, I'm really sorry to have wasted your time. See, I'm telling you the truth, how things are for real. If you want PR and some suit from personnel to come over to sell you the benefit plan, I can arrange that."

She paced a few steps around the room, arms crossed in front of her. She stopped and turned to them. "Or maybe you'd rather go with Argus, although I'd watch that lot. I've heard some disturbing things about them and their Suicide Squad. Honestly, you'd be better off with Shield. Coulson's not too bad even if he does make you sign non disclosures and promise him your first born in contracts signed in blood. Might want to keep on eye open there too," she confided.

"Wait!" Felicity shouted and jumped up, nearly spilling her tea which she set down. "Look, Rose, we want the truth. I mean about Torchwood and what we'd be signing on for. Annnnd, well the benefit package would be nice too," she babbled and then glared at Oliver. "Don't we?"

Oliver leaned back in his chair, an elbow sitting on the arm rest as he nervously rubbed his finger and thumb. He exhaled and directed his gaze at Felicity.

"Felicity, let's not waste Rose's valuable time," he said in a calm voice. "We can handle this on our own and without outside intervention."

"No we can't," Felicity insisted. "Fighting the bad guys is expensive and we need resources and you need your resources for Queen Consolidated."

Oliver stood up and began pacing. "Felicity…" He drew out her name with almost a frustrated groan.

"Give the lady a chance," Digg inserted and focused on Rose before looking back at Oliver. He sat back in his chair, dark blue suit beginning to wrinkle. He tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. "I want to hear what she has to say and somehow I think her version of the truth is closer to reality than the B.S. we got from Argus and Shield."

Oliver sighed, sat back in his chair, crossing one leg over his knee, gesturing with his hand toward Rose. "Please continue."

Rose smiled brighter. "Right," she said, nodding and sat down.

"Torchwood was once a secret government agency put in place after members of the former British royal family were infected by a Lupine wavelength haemovarioform."

"A what?" Digg asked, eyebrows arched upward in disbelief.

Rose smiled broader. "Oh it's this alien sort of werewolf. It crashed on Earth and infected Queen Victorian and the royal family turning them all a bit evil and well, wolfy. They were killed or captured for study although the official statement accused them of suffering from some sort of madness. It's why the people started an uprising to dissolve the monarchy"

"What utter bull shit!" Roy Harper shot off from the wall he had been leaning against. "You expect us to believe a load of crap about werewolves?"

Rose turned to him, a steely look in her eyes. "You saw what happened in New York and were experimented on yourself by a substance that shouldn't exist and yet sent hundreds of people stark raving mad. You've got assassins running about your city and Mr. Queen here was tormented for years on some mysterious island by a bunch of blokes with evil intentions at terrorism and world domination. And you're questioning me about werewolves?" Rose snorted. "Mate, if you knew of half of what existed up there." She pointed upward. "Just be thankful there's Torchwood and Shield keeping an eye on things. Now shall I continue or is it too much for you?" She cocked her eyebrow and tilted her chin up in challenge.

It was the first time Oliver expressed an emotion: surprise. Rose Tyler now had his attention. She knew things she shouldn't and he had every intention of finding out how she knew about his past.

"Roy, let Rose finish," Oliver quietly commanded. Roy huffed and slumped back against the wall shooting Rose angry looks. He was the image of sullen twenty one year old in his t-shirt, jeans and trainers and yet, there was something in his eyes. Rose seemed to recognize it and didn't let him rattle her.

"Sorry," Felicity added. "We've all been through a lot."

"It's okay. I understand bein' angry and asking hard questions. He should," Rose acknowledged.

"Now then, like I said, Torchwood was formed after the fall of the royal family to keep watch over the new Republic against anything supernatural or alien. It grew over the years and unfortunately used less than open and ethical methods. Then came John Lumic and you lot know all about that.

I was part of the group along with my dad, Pete Tyler that took out Lumic and passed the word on how to stop the Cybers. Dad took over Torchwood and started changing things, cleaning out the corruption and immoral policies. Eventually, he snipped ties to the government and made it independent.

"We're still doing some of the same things, except we don't shoot first, violate human or alien rights and we make alliances rather than enemies. We even have open trade with a couple of interstellar species and patent some of the safer tech we've come across which we sell to certain corporations we've checked out and deemed on the level."

"Sounds like a set up for another Lumic if you ask me," Digg said, not looking convinced.

"No," Rose answered firmly. "I won't let that happen and neither will my dad. We were there and saw first hand what happened." She paused a minute looking down before continuing. "I saw people cyberized. Torchwood is committed to preventing that. We have ethics panels that review any tech we want to sell for distribution to the public; and any companies we deal with have to pass a strict investigation and ethics approval process. We use the funds to operate independently and so far it's worked.

"What you've been doing here is not so different than what we do. You just do it a bit more domestically and earthbound although some of your methods have been questioned," she said and shot Oliver a stern look. "The four of you are talented and I think your hearts are in the right place or I wouldn't be here. I know you've been through a lot…"

Roy stormed forward again. "How could you? How could some rich bitch socialite from London know about our pain? You don't know what it means to suffer!"

"Roy," Oliver said with a bit more warning.

"Actually Roy, I do know what it's like to struggle. I grew up on a Council Estate. In America you might call it government subsidized housing for low income families who couldn't make ends meet. It wasn't the nicest place but it was home. Every night there was shouting, fighting, some gangs having dust ups, people passed out from a bit too much at the pub or other things. You learned real fast how to fight to protect what little you had.

"My family works hard for what we have now because we know struggle and loss." She swallowed hard and looked across the room. "Nothing is worse than to lose someone you…" She trailed off.

Felicity decided in that moment that she liked Rose, how strong she was yet still maintained a vulnerability and passion. She believed it when Rose said she knew loss and to Felicity that was more important than strength, advanced weapons or fancy technology. What good were those things if the person behind it couldn't feel the repercussions of what he or she did.

"Rose, will you excuse us. We need to sort of talk and well, talk," Felicity babbled slightly.

Rose smiled, nodded and left them alone. From the moment the door closed, there was arguing. Oliver still felt they would be fine. Roy wasn't convinced Torchwood was the answer even if he liked Rose better than Coulson or Waller. Digg was leaning more toward Shield as Torchwood wanted them to temporarily relocate to London.

Felicity let out an ear piercing whistle and the three men turned to her.

She fidgeted nervously under their scrutiny and took a deep breath. "I don't like this, any of it but we need help. Setting up a new base is going to be expensive and I'd really like to be able to pay my bills."

Oliver walked over to her in that quiet way only he could. He stood over her, tall, solemn but with a soft look in his eyes that he only ever had for her. Most people were intimidated by the broad shouldered, tailored suit image he presented. Felicity knew better.

"We have a responsibility to this city. I have a responsibility. I can't just leave after everything that's happened."

"I know but what good are we right now? You're practically homeless and we're all still dealing with everything. Torchwood could give us time to regroup, think things through and you know, get paid."

Oliver stood before her and looked off to the side, swallowing hard and shut his eyes as if remembering all he'd lost. Felicity put a hand on his arm.

"They have resources we need," she reminded him.

Digg shoved his hands in his pockets and ambled over. "If we do this, I need assurances."

Roy joined them. "We can't leave Starling City!"

Oliver looked over at Roy and took in his slightly trembling hands and the dark circles under his eyes. He seemed to reach a decision as he looked at the young man who still bore the scars of exposure to Mirakuru. Roy needed help. They all did. Felicity was right. He inhaled and looked at her.

"We stay independent and it's temporary; and they give us access to resources. They don't control us."

Felicity smiled brightly as they worked out the details. Team Arrow would be moving to London as highly paid independent contractors. It wouldn't be easy and concessions were made on both sides. Roy was to receive treatment for any lingering effects from Mirakuru. Pete Tyler would work with Oliver to regain his company. Digg would take a few trips back to America to be with his pregnant ex wife. And all of them would work with Rose as their primary liaison. It was tumultuous but it worked.

Felicity was shaken out of her memories by her iPad beeping at her. Soon a spiky brown haired Doctor peered down at her.

"There you are!" the Doctor chirped, he's eyes sparkling with excitement.

Felicity looked up at him and cradled her iPad protectively against her chest.

"Oh come on! It's not that bad."

"Doctor, the last time you said that there was some weird spatial temporal anomaly about to eat the lab and my glasses and almost me."

"Pashaw! That was nothing!" He reached a hand under the table and wiggled his fingers.

Felicity closed her eyes.

"Don't do it. Stay within the sanctity and sanity of the table. The table will not eat me." She opened her eyes and looked nervously at said table. "Then again…" she grabbed his hand and he helped her up. She straightened out her tribal print cream skirt and black sleeveless top before turning to him.

He had his glasses on and was examining a smoking piece of equipment before he turned to her and grinned, shoving his hands in the pockets of his well worn bright blue suit and rocking back on his heals.

"See! Everything's fine, molto bene. Just a teeny tiny power fluctuation."

Before Felicity could respond there was a knock at the door which then opened a crack and an investigative drone floated in.

Felicity breathed a sigh of relief. Reinforcements had finally arrived.

A male voice shouted. "All clear!" Agent Jake Simmons walked in, dressed all in black with protective armour. He was followed by a clean up crew of men and women who looked terrified.

"Jakey!" the Doctor exclaimed and walked over to him, his trainers crunching on broken glass littering the floor.

Jake looked around the lab clearly bearing the marks of an explosion or two and shook his head. Jake Simmons was small in stature but could best just about any agent in the field in combat, weaponry or honestly, drinking games at the pub. His sandy blonde hair, blue eyes and fit physique had turned many heads. His posh look was a mask hiding the hardened agent beneath. It had taken Jake time to warm up to Felicity and her team. There had been a few competitive training sessions and perhaps a Quiz night at the local pub wherein Felicity and Digg proved they weren't the typical Americans Jake thought they were. Jake's respect and affection for the Doctor was immediate.

"Hi Jake, come to check out the…well the aftermath of…" Felicity looked at the Doctor who was arching his brow at her.

"The aftermath of a new and important project which might cause a few explosions." She paused at the Doctor's hurt puppy dog eyes. "But only the good kind. You know the kind that mean progress and not the kind that suck London into a quantum singularity or some hell hole. Three, Two, One. Harmless explosions that are good and safe. Yes, very, very safe," she finished and breathed. Her iPad beeped more frantically. She looked down and back up at the Doctor, her mouth slack and slightly open.

"I've got to go. It's sort of urgent."

"Oh?" he asked with that light in his eyes that meant he wanted to follow along and find trouble.

"Oh no, no, no, not that sort of urgent. More, boring Torchwood urgent. Just a Code Salmon. No big deal," she explained, shaking her head and waving a hand in the air trying to convince him she could handle this…alone.

"Oh a Code Salmon, is it?" Jake asked, stepping closer to her, a naughty glimmer in his eyes. "Welll then you better be off. I'll help the Doctor wrap up things here and file the necessary reports." He then winked at Felicity who was blushing slightly.

"Uh thanks." She turned the Doctor. "I should be going. I'll catch up with you later. Um good luck!" Felicity then dashed out the door, forgetting her shoes and ran down the hall.

The Doctor turned back to Jake. "Code Salmon?"

Jake grinned at him. "Oh, it's nothing."

The Doctor took one look at the grin on Jake's face and knew that whatever this Code Salmon was, it was the opposite of nothing.

"You don't say. And that's why my lovely and brilliant assistant ran out of the room like a horde of vermillion hoffstetters were nipping at her heals?"

Jake's brow furrowed. "I don't even know what that means."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "It means I've read the Torchwood manual in all its boring and mundane details and nowhere in it is a Code Salmon."

"You have the manual memorized?" Jake asked in disbelief.

"Time Lord, Jake."

"Part Time Lord," Jake reminded him with a smirk as one of the workers began sweeping up glass. "Pete'll need a report on his."

"Jake, what's a Cod Salmon?" the Doctor asked, eyes narrowing. "Wait, why'd Pete send you and not Rose?"

Jake couldn't help the huge smile. "Oh, she was busy with the Code Salmon."

The Doctor shifted and crossed his arms. "And this Code Salmon is more important than a Code Doctor?" he snipped.

Jake laughed. "Trust me, Code Doctor, is the highest priority. Felicity was messaging her what the crisis was and given it wasn't the alien invasion kind or the Earth is about to be blown up kind, she asked me to stop by and check things out." Jake walked over to a smoking machine and sniffed. He winced and looked at the Doctor. "And what were you doing exactly?"

"Tribophysical waveformmacro kinetic extrapolator. Universal surfboard or impenetrable shielding against energy pulse weaponry fire and transmats. Is it dangerous?"

Jake shook his head. "I dunno, you built it. Shouldn't you know?"

"Not the extrapolator! The Code Salmon! Is Rose in danger?" he demanded, all playfulness vanished from his voice.

Jake turned back to him trying not to smile. "Depends on what you mean by dangerous?"

"Jake! Is. Rose. In. Danger?"

"You know what, why don't I show you and you can be the judge."

The Doctor huffed in frustration and followed Jake out of the lab and toward the lifts. Once inside, he began to fidget. "Jake, if anything happens to her…"

"Just wait and see," Jake said, sounding mysterious but with a slight quirk of a smile.

The lift descended down to sub level one, Agent Operations and Investigations. After a gentle and soothing ding, the doors opened. The reception area was empty as were the halls. The Doctor had never been down to this area or to Rose's office. He'd always meant to but had been distracted before reaching it.

"Ohhh so this is where Rose spends most her day?" he asked, before darting out and finding her vacant office. He was bubbling with curiosity, looking all over her desk, lifting up the mess of papers scattered over it, peering at an overflowing bin, scattered balls of crumpled paper littering the floor and the framed pictures sitting prominently next to her laptop. He smiled at the several photos of family along with one of the two of them. He made a happy humming noise as he picked up the picture of them at a Tyler family picnic. He set it down and turned to find Jake smiling at him.

"Done snooping?"

"This isn't snooping, Jake. This is me visiting Rose's office and making sure she's comfy and not being turned into some drone or something. A messy office Jake, it's the sign of genius!" He then ambled past Jake and out into the hall.

The Doctor's mood seemed better once he realized they were close to Rose and there didn't appear to be any immediate danger. He recounted one particularly amusing story to Jake about a time that he and Rose were chased across a planet by alien's that looked like crumpled paper. His happy babble continued as they walked down the empty halls, passing equally empty conference rooms, offices and break room.

It was when they reached the massive training room that they found everyone. The Doctor was delighted with the room, running around and examining various pieces of equipment like tumbling mats, parallel bars, massive punching bags, trampolines and in particular, an antigravity mat.

"Oh Jake, this is brilliant piece of equipment. Lovely way to prepare for any necessary…" His voice drifted off as he realized, Jake was not paying attention to him. Jake's eyes were focused on the other end of the room at a shirtless bloke on a rather unique peace of equipment.

Walking over to Jake who just stood there smiling, gazing at the muscled man hanging onto a bar which he moved from slot to slot up some sort of ladder device, the Doctor realized most of the people in the room were equally focused on the sandy brown haired man who, in the Doctor's opinion, had far too many bulging muscles.

Then he noticed Felicity and Rose standing near a wall quite close to the exercising man. They were gazing up at him, their eyes glazed over.

"Jake?" the Doctor asked, all joyful babbling ended.

Jake looked over at him and winked. "The Salmon Ladder." He nodded his head toward the man working his way up said Salmon ladder.

"Code Salmon," the Doctor said in a less than happy voice. He looked again at Rose and Felicity licking their lips as they watched the man ascend upward, swinging his equally muscled legs back and forth as he exerted himself

"Welll isn't that wizard," he snipped.


End file.
